Anniversary Card

Playing Music is the current theme for Time Out Challenges.  It inspired this anniversary card.

I die cut a panel of old sheet music my neighbor gave me using GK Master Layouts 1.  The edges were brushed with Distress Oxide vintage photo and I matted it with a glossy black rectangle also die cut with the GK set.  Alex Syberia Quirky Hearts dies were cut a couple times to get the narrow outlines.  The flowers are Poppystamps Little Layered Asters. The hearts were brushed with Distress Oxide aged mahogany.  I layered the flowers putting one brushed with aged mahogany on top of one brushed with vintage photo.  The centers are black enamel dots.  The Alex Syberia word shadow was die cut from PTI Classic Kraft and the letters from glossy black.  Happy Anniversary is stamped inside the Classic Kraft card.  The husband this card went to plays music and the wife loves gardening, so that was the idea behind this design.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and WAW.

Our almost 13 yr old Standard Schnauzer, Fritz, had sudden neurological symptoms a few days ago.  He spent 3 days at the vet.  We're hoping it's Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome which has a great prognosis with full or nearly full recovery.  He is improving, so we are hopeful.  He has to be in his crate or one of us is next to him with the leash attached at all times.  Otherwise, he can try to move and hurt himself.  His walking is improving, but he still looses his balance easily, so we have to hold the leash of his harness taut to keep him from getting hurt.  We take turns getting the basics done.  I sleep in my recliner with his crate next to me.  Very grateful he's handling that well.  I had this post mostly done before we brought him home.  I'm not on-line much and not sure when I'll be able to do any cardmaking.  Thank you for your thoughts and understanding.

Flowers and a Butterfly

Altenew April Inspiration Challenge has a beautiful color combo.  Once again I used my favorite Sweet Bouquet stamp/die/stencil products for an entry. 

The coloring was done with Rouge, Lime and Fresh Leaf inks brushed through the matching stencils.  I brushed Dew Drops in the center of the card front.  Sparkled Frame, another favorite, was embossed with matte clear powder so it would be more visible.  This card does have a different look from the others I've made with Sweet Bouquet because I added some Branches and Berries diecuts.  I really like this version.  Hard to see the Stickles in the flower centers and on the berries.  

The sentiment is from the same set and I used matching enamel dots.  I'm also entering WAW.

I combined Poppystamps and Color Hues challenges for my next card.  A friend recently gave me a sack of beautiful patterned paper sheets.  I picked out one with shades of green and used MB Texture Distressed Grid stencil with Distress Oxide Lucky Clover. 

I randomly inked and stamped an old woodblock text stamp with Distress Oxide Pine Needles.  It's subtle, but definitely changed the look.  I wanted just a bit more interest in the background, so used 2nd generation stamping of the flower from Poppystamps Friends and Flowers inked in Versafine Clair Grass Green.  Again, subtle, but visible in person.  If you enlarge the picture, you might be able to see that I used a PFS blanket stitch rectangle and splattered white gouache.  Poppystamps Dream Butterfly was die cut twice.  The outline layer on top was inked heavily with Distress Oxide Abandoned Coral.  I used a lighter hand for the bottom layer with the inside pieces kept in place and brushed with shimmer.  MB Just a Note Posh Script shadow was inked with the Coral and the words were die cut from the same patterned paper piece.  Finished off with white enamel dots.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Exchange Card

Here's the card I sent to Dee in Kenya for the November CCC.  It was actually the first card I made inspired by Brenda who also participates in the monthly exchange.  

I inked a maple leaf with Distress Oxides Crackling Campfire and Spiced Marmalade, spritzed with water, laid the cardstock panel on top and rubbed over it to transfer the ink.  I stamped the trees from Unity's Serene Silhouettes in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  The Mama Elephant die cut sentiment and the Gina K Master Layouts die cut mat were colored to match with the Pinecone ink pad.  The sentiment was stacked 2 high and clear embossed.  I added brown splatters using a Zig watercolor marker.

I'm entering SSS Monday and SSS Wednesday.

Edited to add: Also entering WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.  

Christmas Cards

I've been having fun making a variety of Christmas cards.  First is another one for Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card 2025.  I was inspired by these cards made by my friend, Tracey McNeely.

Her cards were made by ink blending Distress Oxides and then spraying the panels with DO ink through a stencil.  She used a large sentiment die and added some bling.  Here's the card I made.

I used Distress Oxides Fired Brick and Lucky Clover.  Uniko Winter Foliage stencil was laid on top and I sprayed with Distress Spritz Fired Brick and Mowed Lawn.  

I still love my old W&W Noel die which I stacked 2 high, brushed with shimmer and covered with glaze.  The embellishments are tiny black gems I've had forever.  The shimmer and shine can be seen better in my IG post. 

Next is my entry for JUGS CASE a DT.  There is a wide variety of cards to choose from--all wonderful!  I was drawn to this beautiful card made by Carol using dry embossing, patterned paper and ephemera. 

I was reminded of my old Christmas stickers, die cuts and chipboard still waiting to be used.  I'm not sure my card counts as a case, but I'm really glad Carol inspired me to finally use these festive, shiny die cuts.  

The embossed panel was made with SSS Holiday Greenery folder and I sprayed the panel with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine which gives a beautiful shimmer.  I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  Quick festive card that won't need extra postage.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Week 2 Guest Designing for JUGS

I'm back as the October JUGS Guest Designer with my card for Word Week: Halloween.

I don't make many Halloween cards, but I really had fun with this one.  Plus, I used a couple dies for the first time--yay!  Reverse Confetti Halloween Bits die set was in a destash giveaway some time ago and I won Memory Box Happy Halloween Posh Script a few months ago.  I also pulled out SSS Birch Tree Window die that I used once in the past for a Halloween card. 

I started by covering the bat in WOW Regal Sparkles (glitter) and the ghost in Ice Pop.  The bat was outlined with a silver pen and the ghost with a black one.  I backed the bat eyes with a scrap colored with the silver pen and the ghost eyes and mouth with a scrap colored with the black.  I ink blended the background using Distress Oxides fossilized amber and spiced marmalade.  The cardfront was covered with MB glossy black cardstock for a nice contrast from the plain black cardstock I used to die cut the window.  

I ink blended the Happy Halloween shadow to match the background and stacked it 2 high.  The words were die cut from the glossy black cardstock.  There's a video showing the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful creations by the JUGS team and I'd love to see you in the gallery!  I'm entering SSS WCMD and WAW. 

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."  Luke 6:31  I'm so sick of the ongoing threats, name calling and retaliation.  By the way, Portland, Oregon is not "war ravaged" or a "burning hell hole."  

Thank you for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

WCMD

I was so happy to see 2 companies sponsor challenges for WCMD:  Uniko and SSS.  Years ago there were quite a few.  Took awhile to come up with something that worked, but I did finally get a card made on Saturday. 

Therese's video on stencil techniques inspired my background.  I colored molding paste to get a soft brown which I spread through Uniko's Winter Foliage stencil.  The holly leaves and berries from the stamp of the same name were stamped in CN9 Clover and Poppy.  I used the matching dies and glued the leaves just at one end.  The berries are covered in Christmas Red Stickles and are slightly raised.  The sentiment from Season of Beauty was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  I'm entering Uniko via IG, SSS WCMD and DCD.

On Sunday I made a birthday card using an embossed panel I made months ago with Memory Box Blooming folder and Saltwater Taffy Distress Oxide ink pad.  

I cut a 2 inch strip and matted it with black cardstock and white cardstock inked to match.  The sentiment from PTI Tuck it Sentiments was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Really love the size and font, so it will get lots of use.  I added clear drops for a subtle embellishment.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday, SSS WCMD via IG and DCD via Flickr.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Altenew and Pinkfresh

I loved the first card I saw by Hannelie using Altenew's White Cap Peonies stencils.  Finally added it to my stash and made an entry for the September Inspiration Challenge.  

The Altenew inks are Wisteria, Hydrangea, Ultraviolet, Andromeda, Sunkissed, Orange Cream, Forest Glades and Jet Black.  I splattered Altenew Jet Black ink spray and used their wonderful Dotted Swirls Debossing Cover Die.  I used Gina K Master Layouts 1 to die cut the rectangles.  The sentiment is from Sweet Bouquet and I added a few black enamel dots.  Already sent it off to a friend with major challenges right now.

 

Love that the Pinkfresh Monthly Challenge now has an Anything Goes option.  That let me pull out my 2018 Hello with a Bouquet die.  I've used it quite a bit, but don't remember ever using Fall colors. 

Thought about ink blending a background, but decided to smoosh Distress Oxides on a cream panel instead.  The colors are fossilized amber, wilted violet, peeled paint and vintage photo.  I was really happy with the look of my panel, especially after spraying it with fossilized amber Distress Spritz.  You can get an idea of the beautiful shimmer in my IG post.  The letters are stacked and covered with glaze.  Couldn't resist adding Golden Rod Stickles to the flower centers.  Think this could be for a birthday or maybe even Thanksgiving.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and DCD.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Memory Box, Altenew and Stamps Happen

I just could not make my first idea for the Memory Box August Animal Themed Cards Challenge work.  Luckily, I realized birds are in the animal kingdom!  That let me use the wonderful Backyard Wren die. 

First I ink blended Distress Oxides bundled sage, lucky clover, speckled egg and broken china.  Then I smooshed over the blended areas with lucky clover and broken china to add more texture.  Love the look.  Instead of a tree branch, I decided to put my bird in a bush using MB Tall Frilly Leaf Stems brushed with several green metallic sprays.  Many of my old spray bottles clogged, so I just pour some out and use a paintbrush.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  I brushed the bird diecuts with DO vintage photo, fossilized amber and antique linen.  The oval frame was made with Elizabeth Craft dies and I inked it with DO antique linen and a touch of vintage photo--purposely not making it a solid color.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was stacked and inked with the vintage photo.  Not sure about embellishments, so left them off for now.  I'm also entering Tic Tac Toe 276 using Any Color/Free/Sentiment.  

My next card is for the August Altenew Inspiration Challenge.  I had fun using some of their older products along with a new one. 

The Fresh Flowers diecuts were ink blended with Puffy Heart, Rose Quartz, Citrus Burst, Maple Yellow, Forest Glades and Frayed Leaf Altenew inks.  Watercolor Stripes Cover Die was cut from vellum and attached to a soft yellow textured cardstock panel.  The sentiment letters from Essential Sentiment Strips were ink blended to match and inlaid into the vellum base which was matted with the same yellow cardstock.  I finished off with tiny yellow gems.  I'm also entering JUGS.

I finally made a card with this beautiful woodblock stamp called Rose Parade.  It's by Stamps Happen and I bought it over 20 years ago at a stamp convention.  

The image was embossed in SSS Rose Gold powder before I watercolored with Distress Oxides kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry and pumice stone.  I failed to leave enough lighter areas, so I added a bit of white metallic watercolor.  That helped, I think.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  I added a very soft watercolor wash around the image using kitsch flamingo and finished off with pink sequins.  I entered the last Woodblock Wednesday challenge and I'm entering Color Hues Pink and Gray.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.